Ophthalmology, a specialty of medicine, is highly dependent on images and data, making it a prime candidate for the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare. The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) is hosting its 127th annual meeting, AAO 2023, in San Francisco, where a wide range of AI-related research and symposia will be presented from November 3-6. While AI offers great promise, its limitations and potential pitfalls will also be discussed during the event.
One notable symposium, chaired by Dr. Sophia Ying Wang of Stanford University, focuses on the opportunities and pitfalls of artificial intelligence in glaucoma care. Dr. Wang emphasizes the importance of considering the diversity of training data used to develop AI algorithms and conducting fairness evaluations to ensure equitable outcomes. The symposium aims to address various questions regarding the impact of AI on different patient populations and the potential assistive or punitive nature of AI-driven actions.
The event will feature research presentations in different subspecialties of ophthalmology, showcasing the role of AI in areas such as retinal diseases, refractive surgery, ocular oncology, and pathology. The AI-related topics encompass a wide range of applications, including disease severity scoring, fluid quantification, diabetic retinopathy screening, ectasia risk assessment, and IOL calculation.
In addition to AI-related research, the conference will explore the intersection of technology and ophthalmology, addressing topics such as telemedicine, medical education, and automation of administrative tasks using AI. The COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on telehealth will be discussed, with a focus on how federal healthcare systems have adopted telehealth and the role of AI in shaping its future in ophthalmology.
Various scientific posters will be presented, highlighting the use of AI in streamlining measurements, IOL calculation, cataract grading, glaucoma screening, patient education, and rare ocular disease detection. The development of AI models, utilizing imaging, biomechanics, and molecular factors, will also be explored for personalized myopia management.
Lastly, several papers will be presented, covering topics like predicting glaucoma progression using AI models and the initial results of AI voice automation in preoperative assessments for ophthalmic surgery.
Overall, AAO 2023 promises to be a comprehensive platform for showcasing the latest advancements, challenges, and potential of AI in ophthalmology.
